Russia is considering limiting metals exports to the West
In response to Western sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested this week that Moscow limit exports of metals or other commodities in which Russia has a large share on global markets. Putin mentioned uranium and nickel as well as titanium, but suggested that other commodities could be restricted, pointing out that Russia is a major producer for natural gas, diamonds, and gold. Putin said that any restrictions do not have to be immediately implemented and they should not harm Russia.
Molten Salt Reactors: Maritime’s Nuclear Option
A race is being run by nuclear scientists and ship designers. The prize? “Decarbonization’s” holy grail — believed to be a “small” thorium-fueled, molten-salt rector’s unlimited power to propel sea trade. At the same time, a recently revived discussion among leading marine-nuclear thinkers revolves now around how to put an ultra-modern, as-yet non-existent marine reactor aboard a modern commercial vessel. As with nuclear power generally, shipborne reactors produce national discussion first, then discovery.
Floating Power Plants: Is Nuclear the Key in the Net-zero Energy Transition?
Floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) may not immediately spring to mind as providing a solution to several of today’s key global challenges – but FNPP development is emerging as a means of decentralized stand-alone production of cost competitive hydrogen-based fuels and clean electricity and water, according to a new report by Intelatus Global Partners.The commercial case for deployment of FNPPs featuring small modular reactors…
Russia's Floating Power Plant Plugged In
Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom said its floating nuclear power plant has been connected to the grid and has commenced electricity production for the first time in a remote region of Russia.The floating power unit (FPU) Akademik Lomonosov has been connected to the grid, generating electricity for the first time in the isolated Chaun-Bilibino network in Pevek, Chukotka, Russia’s Far East. This happened after the Russian regulator Rostekhnadzor issued an operations permit…
Seaborne Nuclear Power Plant Docks in Russia
Russia's first-floating nuclear power plant has arrived to its permanent base near an isolated Russian town across the Bering Strait from Alaska, Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom said on Saturday.Developed by Rosatom, the plant, known as "Akademik Lomonosov", set off on a 5,000 km (3,100 mile) journey on Aug. 23 through Arctic waters to reach the Chukotka region. Rosatom said it aims to make the floating station operational by the year-end.
Novatek Signs LNG Equipment Deal
The Russian natural-gas company Novatek and Atomenergomash, a mechanical engineering division of the Rosatom State Corporation, have signed a memorandum on strategic partnership and localizing the fabrication of critical equipment for liquefied natural gas (LNG) production.Novatek said that under the memorandum, the two companies will cooperate in the long term to localize the fabrication of pumps, heat exchangers and other equipment…
Russia's First Sea-borne Nuclear Power Plant Arrives in Arctic
Russia's first-floating nuclear power plant arrived in the Arctic port of Murmansk over the weekend in preparation for its maiden mission, providing electricity to an isolated Russian town across the Bering Strait from Alaska.The state company behind the plant, called the "Akademik Lomonosov", says it could pioneer a new power source for remote regions of the planet, but green campaigners have expressed concern about the risk of nuclear accidents.
Finland's Hanhikivi 1 Reactor on Track, Unaffected by Sanctions - Rosatom
A planned nuclear reactor in western Finland, owned by a Finnish-Russian consortium, will meet its 2024 commissioning target despite delays in licensing, and will not be affected by sanctions on Russia, supplier Rosatom said. The start date of the 1.2 gigawatt (GW) Hanhikivi 1 reactor has been in question since September, when owner Fennovoima said the construction licence it needed from the authorities would take a year longer to get due to delays.
Argentina, Russia Ink Uranium Exploration, Production Deal
Argentina and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding to boost uranium exploration and production in the South American country that could include $250 million in investment, Argentina's foreign ministry said on Tuesday. The agreement was sealed during a visit by Argentine President Mauricio Macri to Moscow. It was signed by Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie, chief executive of Russia's Uranium One Group, and chief of London-based UrAmerica Ltd <IPO-URAL.L>, which explores for uranium in Argentina and Paraguay.
Rosatom's Paks Nuclear Project in Hungary Delayed
Russian Rosatom's 12.5 billion euro project to build two nuclear reactors at the Paks nuclear site in Hungary has been delayed by at least a year, Hungarian authorities said. Janos Suli, Hungary's minister in charge of the Paks project, told a conference on Thursday the project had suffered a 22-month delay due to European Union regulatory hurdles, but that the government was working to shorten the delay. A government official on Friday confirmed his comments, which were reported on state news agency MTI.
Rosatom Working on Preliminary Stages of South Africa Bid
Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom is participating in the preliminary information-gathering stage of a tender to build a nuclear power project in South Africa, TASS news agency reported on Tuesday. TASS previously cited Rosatom Chief Executive Alexei Likhachev as saying his company had submitted a bid for the project. "We are participating in the request for information, it is not yet a tender procedure. Then there will be a pre-bid application, and then the tender," TASS later quoted Likhachev as saying.
Russia Demands Swift Payment for Cancelled Bulgarian Nuclear Plant
Russian nuclear company Rosatom has asked Bulgaria to swiftly pay 620 million euros ($696 million) in compensation over the cancelled Belene nuclear project, it said on Saturday. An arbitration court ruled in June that Sofia must pay for the equipment produced by Rosatom for the project, which Bulgaria abandoned in 2012 due to financial constraints and concerns in Brussels and Washington over its energy dependence on Russia.
First Steam-generation Unit Installed on Nuclear-powered Icebreaker Arktika
United Shipbuilding Corporation informed the installation of the first of the two steam generating unit (PHB), which is part of the reactor facility RITM-200. According to the company this first steam generating unit has been installed in the "Arctic" on September 2 and was loaded onto the parent nuclear icebreaker "Arktika" Project 22220. RITM-200 is a two-reactor plant designed by OKBM especially for the icebreaking fleet.
Bangladesh signs $12.65 bln deal with Russia for Nuclear Power Plants
Bangladesh's state-run Atomic Energy Commission signed a deal with Russia on Friday to set up two nuclear power plants, each with 1,200 megawatt capacity, an investment totalling $12.65 billion, a government official said. Work will begin early next year at Ruppur in Iswardi, 160 km (100 miles) from Dhaka, said Kamrul Islam Bhyian, spokesman for the ministry of science and technology. "Russia will finance up to 90 percent of the total cost as credit with an interest rate of Libor plus 1.75 percent," Bhyian told Reuters.
EU Starts Legal Action Over Hungary Nuclear Project
European Union regulators started legal action against Hungary on Thursday over a contract it awarded to Russia's Rosatom to expand the Paks nuclear power plant, but Hungary said it would press ahead with its plans. The EU's executive Commission has been holding talks to try to resolve differences after Hungary chose Rosatom last year to build two new nuclear reactors, partly financed by a favorably priced Russian loan worth $10.7 billion.
Russia to Build Nuclear Power Station in Egypt
Moscow and Cairo have signed an intergovernmental agreement to build a nuclear power station in Egypt, Sergei Novikov, a spokesman for Russia's state-owned nuclear firm Rosatom, told Reuters on Thursday. The construction of the plant, Egypt's first, at Dabaa in the north of the country is expected to be finished by 2022. Rosatom has previously said the contract would entail Russia offering a loan to Egypt. (Reporting by Svetlana Burmistrova; writing by Polina Devitt)
Rosatom: No Start Date for Turkey Nuclear Plant
The head of the Russian Rosatom subsidiary responsible for building Turkey's first nuclear power plant declined on Tuesday to give a start date for the project, saying delays were to be expected in such large-scale ventures. Keen to wean itself off an almost complete dependence on imported energy, Turkey in 2013 commissioned Russia's state-owned Rosatom to build four 1,200-megawatt reactors. Rosatom initially pledged to have…
Slimmed-Down Areva Will Need Large Capital Increase
France's Areva will need a multi-billion euro capital increase following four years of losses and the sale of a big stake in its nuclear reactor division to utility EDF, most of which will have to come from the state. CEO Philippe Knoche said the capital increase might have to be more than the 3.4 billion euro ($3.7 billion) financing gap Areva flagged in its 2015-17 finance plan on Thursday. "The capital increase will also need…
Turkey's First Nuclear Plant Gets Preliminary Licence
Turkey's Akkuyu nuclear power plant was granted a preliminary licence for the next three years to acquire necessary permission to start investments, energy market watchdog EPDK said in a statement. EPDK said the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Company would be granted a full licence to produce energy if it fulfilled the requirements laid out by the preliminary licence. Russia's Rosatom is expected to start building Turkey's first nuclear power plant at the end of 2016. (Reporting by Orhan Coskun)
Russian Nuclear Project in Finland Stalls Over Croatia Investor
Plans to build a Russian nuclear reactor in Finland suffered a setback on Thursday after the government said its probe into the ownership of a Croatian investor pointed to Russia. Helsinki has called on the Fennovoima consortium to ensure at least 60 percent European ownership before it approves plans by Russia's Rosatom to build the 1,200-megawatt reactor. "It has not been possible to adequately verify that factual control in…
